Of Chocolate and Toy Soliders
by MohawkFetish
Summary: Parents playing matchmaker: its horrible, its terrfying and it resulted in an arranged marriage. How can an abberant toy maker and an eccentric chocolatier ever get along?
1. A Letter From Across Town

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter One: A Letter from Across Town**

Arranged marriages were occasions of the past—they no longer existed to the present, correct? Correctly wrong. In fact, some families still believe that in arranging a marriage they gain family wealth and a wonderful son or daughter in law as an heir to the family name. One perfect example of all this would be between the highly acclaimed dental practitioner and the equally acclaimed medical surgeon—both of which were fortunately wealthy.

The problem was these two families had never bothered to meet with each other's child destined to be engaged and married. Though it would be wrong to say that they couldn't be more different, it isn't inaccurate to state that they were both peculiarly strange. What with Willy Wonka's hidden obsession of candy and Zee Orman's hidden infatuation with toy making it was hard to call any of this a proper arrangement amongst families.

But plans went awry as Willy Wonka decided to run away from his father, never to return—making it extremely difficult to marry someone whom you've never met and whom has decided to take it upon himself and hitch a ride out of town. Nonetheless, they were still engaged (though neither mentioned it to anyone).

Yet so many years later here Zee Orman stood, brushing aside messy black hair accented with neon blues, oranges, greens and pinks. There were large goggles pushed up on her forehead, gluing her bangs to her face. Zee Orman was creator, founder, and president of Orman Toys—the company that never failed to make any and every toy imaginable.

The view from the enormous window on the very top of the tallest tower in her factory and personal home was amazing—breath taking even—during the winter and fall months. Still, she felt a gaping hole in her stomach, watching from afar the chocolate factory across the town. Inside she knew who lived there. She knew exactly who he was and what little connections they had socially. But with Wonka being such a recluse, she highly doubted he even knew she existed anymore. Did he even recall their engagement set so many years ago?

Zee turned, obstructing her view of the factory and sat in the large desk that appeared to be made of hats and cards stacked up on each other. Atop this was a monstrous amount of paperwork to be read and thoroughly completed. Zee hated her procrastination of doing all of this but it all seemed rather superfluous and unnecessary. All it really needed was her signature and although at some points in time she actually didn't even bother to peruse it, it was still filled and addressed back to whomever had sent her needless work in the first place.

But just as she was to dump the rest of the fan letters into a separating bin from which she'd get her toy robot workers to sort through, a peculiar envelope caught her eye. Pushing aside the stray papers she opened the letter with great delicacy and read through it three or four times, not fully comprehending or perhaps not assured that this was not forged. But then again, all of it had been a secret. Once more she pored over it and read:

_Dear Ms. Zee Orman,_

_I would like to welcome you to my chocolate factory this Wednesday afternoon at precisely two 'o' clock sharp. Please wait outside the gates and I will personally escort you inside. I believe we have a lot to catch up on._

_Sincerely,_

_Willy Wonka_

"How did he remember?" thought aloud Zee before she realized that she had no idea what to expect or what his expectations would be at all. Would he agree with her aberrant choice of attire? Would he care for her wacky personality? It wouldn't have mattered quite so much save for the fact that this was her _fiancé_ she was speaking about.

Frantically she jumped from her feet and burst through the double doors and down the wonky hallway and into her personal bedroom. It was red and black with the large ZOT crest across her wall, of course standing for Zee Orman Toys. But she wasn't caught up in the intricate beauty of her bedroom but more so filing through her closet for something, _anything_ she could wear around him. There wasn't much, if only she knew something about this mysterious chocolatier destined to take her hand in marriage. If only this hadn't arisen in the first place! She openly cursed her mother and father for making such a confounded arrangement. It'd been years since she'd seen Willy and the last she remembered was of the little boy with headgear on—she felt terribly sorry for him in her childhood.

Sighing she stubbornly resisted the instinct to make a perfect first impression. Either way, they were being forced into this by both sides of the family tree and it would be useless to hide behind a cloak of girlishness that didn't at all suit her. Still, her nerves got the better of her as she stared at the calendar on the wall. Tomorrow was Wednesday! "If only the mail moved faster…" she sighed dismally and left the room, walking down the hall to survey the progression with the rest of her factory.

Charlie smiled, he had noticed the significant rise in his mentor's anxiety level, it was humorous in a strange sort of way. Willy was having an extremely hard time focusing on what was best for his candy—but he still managed to at least make it taste astoundingly delicious beyond all human standards. This was a terrible idea and he knew it perfectly well—so did his father. "What's wrong, Willy?" Charlie finally questioned of his teacher.

"What? Oh, nothing," lied Willy as he paced the room, staring at the ground and sighing. Nothing. Nothing was all right—that's the sort of nothing he was thinking of right now. How in the blazes would he ever get through with tomorrow? Better yet, how could he explain this to the Buckets? Dinnertime, that's how.

The time had approached quickly and he sat down at the table, feeling awkward and uncomfortable as the luscious appearing food was presented before him. Butterflies invaded and participated in warfare all in the confines of his stomach as he watched, his face turning paler-than-pale as everyone sat down and began passing about the plates of food—chattering lightly as they did so. Sooner or later they would realize his unusual behavior even for his unusual self and then, and only then would he offer his explanation. All of this was nothing he was looking forward to as he silently picked at his food, ignoring Charlie's persistent whisper about candy business (he would regret that eventually).

"Really, what is the problem, Mr. Wonka?" Charlie finally inquired after giving up on telling his teacher of his idea for the kites they'd been working on.

"Yes, Willy, you're acting strange today," nodded Mrs. Bucket, with everyone else agreeing.

This was it, with all the eyes set upon him he began to explain what had been set in motion so many years and ago and would be fulfilled within the next twelve months. Everyone was baffled at the thought but Willy looked rather shamed and nearly embarrassed at the fact. Charlie lightly patted him on the back, but realized that with his mentor's phobia of touch it probably only made matters worse. "Have you met her at all?" Mr. Bucket finally questioned.

"Once," Willy replied dismally and sighed.

"Well, don't worry, you two should be fine…. wait…she's Zee Orman? The toy maker across town?"

"Yes."

"Well then it won't be that hard to get along with her, will it?" Mrs. Bucket smiled and set down her silverware that had previously been forgotten in her grasp. "You'll be fine."

"Hopefully," Willy nodded and gazed around at the table and stood from his seat, already procuring from the hooks on the wall his hat and jacket which he sat upon his self once more. "Excuse me, I need to be alone." Without further ado, he left to his personal quarters in the factory, leaving the Buckets to exchange wary glances before finishing dinner without Mr. Wonka.

Tomorrow won't be good at all. Not at all.

**Yes, well, this is my first attempt at a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fanfic and I hope it serves some justice to the movie. If you actually need this pointed out its based upon the Burton & Depp version—mostly all of them on here are (which is totally fine by me). So just review and thanks for your support in at least reading! (Sorry its sort of short and sorry if this appears to be some mary-sueish thing.)**

**Disclaimer: saying this once, and once only. I don't own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Neither the book by Dahl or the movie is mine.**

**Oh pretty please with a little cherry on top review! I'll even add chocolate syrup at half price! **


	2. Waiting on Cherry Street

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Two: Waiting on Cherry Street**

Nine 'o' clock and not a single stirring in the bedroom of Willy Wonka, ten 'o' clock and nothing—Charlie was beginning to wonder what was going on when his mentor did not arrive for breakfast and never came to the Inventing Room to apologize about it. Of course he'd completely forgotten about what today's special occasion was, although none of the other Buckets did this. They all remembered and they all kept quiet about the situation as if suddenly the walls had ears.

Perhaps it was common nerves of meeting such an important person to accompany him for the rest of his life, or quite possibly it was the prospect in general of this whole marriage thing that bounded Willy Wonka to his bedside, dismally staring at himself in the mirror. As any other day, his hair was perfectly combed and nothing about him seemed oddly out of place, yet he felt incredibly anxious. It was already ten thirty and he was still sitting in his bedroom, being immature about the whole ordeal.

A crestfallen Charlie picked up his schoolbooks and headed for the door. Today was only a half-day and he'd be going to school from eleven to three. Normally he'd never go to school quite so early but without Willy's presence nothing seemed as bright anymore. So as he pulled on his coat he smiled and waved a friendly good-bye to the Oompa Loompas and walked out the front door to the gates. A light snow had drifted from the heavens that past evening and there was an inch of snow beneath his new shoes.

As he passed through the gates and they closed behind him in a noisy fashion, Charlie noticed something, rather someone, peculiar standing a little ways away from the gates, checking nervously around and sighing, as if anxious about something. Curious and with plenty of time to spare, Charlie cautiously approached the person and tapped whomever it was on the shoulder, "Excuse me?"

With such great speed that startled Charlie, the person (who turned out to be a woman) pirouetted to inspect Charlie and she asked, "Yeah? What do you—er—want?" Goggles were covering her eyes, making it impossible for Charlie to tell her eye color. Her neon-accented hair normally jet-black was… Interesting to say the least. She was wearing a black and crimson-checkered shirt beneath a plain black jacket. Back, vinyl fingerless gloves could barely be seen through the sleeves.

"What are you doing? Not to sound rude," Charlie added with a smile as he turned to the factory, "Are you here for Mr. Wonka?"

"Are you Charlie Bucket?" she asked him.

"I asked you first."

"Fizzies!" she strangely cursed, snapping her fingers before she sighed and answered him quickly, "Yes I am here for Mr. Wonka. But I'm a little early."

"Nearly four hours early," Charlie corrected with a smile before he sat with her on the bench outside a store across the street from the factory's fence. "So you're Zee Orman?"

"I asked you second."

"Oh, right, I'm Charlie Bucket."

"Yes I'm Zee Orman. I couldn't stand to be in my factory, I was getting too fidgety. Now I'm just…cold."

Charlie smiled and checked his watch. He had at least thirty minutes before school was set to start, so he set his bag down between them as to not forget it before he carried on with their conversation, "Mr. Wonka seems nervous to meet you. He says you've only met once. How'd you meet?"

"Oh, well, if you really wanted to get technical it'd be twice but that's just all nonsense, isn't it?" she gave him a smile and seemed to unwind slowly but surely. "One day he came to me at school and asked if we could go somewhere. Seeing as avoiding him would do me no good, I went with him. You know what he did?" Charlie shook his head and eagerly awaited her elaboration. "He bought me this!" she leaned over and showed him the ring set upon her fourth finger on her left hand. It glimmered in the light as she pulled her hand away. "Only time we ever met. He told me his dad made him too." Charlie found it odd that Zee wasn't upset by this, as most women would be. Instead she laughed it off as if I was the same thing she'd do had she been in Willy's situation.

"Anywho," she went on, "I think I'm going to get breakfast, care to join me?" Zee got up and stretched in a feline manner as she looked at him.

"I've already eaten."

"So? No reason not to join me for a while. Everyone gets lonely and I've got to get used to you. If I don't, I'll never be able to be happy in that factory of his. Besides, I need someone to tell my worries to," Zee explained and led him down the street and into a small café, where she pushed up her goggles so they pressed her bangs to her forehead as they most often did—it wasn't at all a bad look, really.

Zee ordered herself a hot chocolate and a coffee cake and sat down at one of the tables, Charlie followed her. "You see, what's been bothering me lately is that if I get married, how will I take care of _my _factory? I'll have to walk back and forth all the time!" she made her two fingers on her left hand walk across the table and back to their starting point a few times, as if to accentuate her point. "And these fan letters are getting ridiculous! The other day some little girl told me to make a…a b-b-b-bir-bird!"

"You don't like birds?" Charlie asked inquisitorially.

As if by hearing someone else say the word 'bird' so nonchalantly and carelessly made it worse, Zee's eyes widened as she looked at him and shook her head madly before replying in a quiet, ashamed voice, "They scare me."

"But why do they scare you?"

"They fly around everywhere and poop all over everything and squawk as if they're going to kill you!"

"They're not all that bad."

"Charlie, you're just a little boy, in due time you'll come to my side of thinking," Zee concluded and rest her hand on her right foot that was propped up on her left knee. Black vinyl boots were covering her feet, the Zee Orman Toys symbol written in silver on her heel. "Are there birds in the factory?"

Charlie could only think of one room that had anything to do with birds. It was the chocolate birds room where the eggs were hatched and the birds grew and were shipped out in boxes similar to the ones used to put pets in when they were to be taken home. He was about to open his mouth and tell her this before he thought it best to lie and say there were no birds whatsoever in the factory or anything related to them, he only hoped that Willy wouldn't show her the room he was thinking of just then.

One quick glance at his watch told him he was running late, so he bid Zee a farewell and walked out of the café and down the street to his school.

Courage was scarce in Willy today as he trudged down the hallways and into the Inventing Room, observing the Oompa Loompas that were inspecting the room for any glitches. Today was not a day for inventing and he knew that. It was a day to sit and wait and be anxious. It was a day to be dull and useless and invisible. If only he was invisible, then he could ignore those butterflies and their darned warfare.

An hour passed and then another and another until it was half past one and soon it would be time for Zee to arrive. Now Zee sat on the little bench she'd been at all morning and the beginning of afternoon. She tapped at her knees and watched the factory impatiently. Two was vastly approaching and she knew that in all due time she'd be standing in front Willy Wonka—the thought unsettled her greatly.

Calmly Zee pressed her goggles over her eyes more, to ensure that they were indeed obstructing any view of her eyes—which she knew could never lie. "Hopefully he didn't turn…hideous," she thought aloud. "It sounds mean, doesn't it? But who wants to wake up and see an ugly old man beside you every morning. Or come home to an ugly old man and eat beside an ugly old man and—"

"And live with an ugly old man?" came a voice from behind her. Slowly she turned and stared face to face with Willy Wonka, he was wearing large goggle like glasses, which was rather amusing to the both of them. There was a slight air of awkward feeling about him which Zee could understand and take part in quite easily, in fact.

"Something like that," nodded Zee as she stood and looked at him, hands in her coat pockets and her eyes watching him with a flicker of interest that could not be seen from behind her tinted shades set into the goggles' frame.

For a few moments they stood, gulping with concern for themselves. Indeed this was a terrible idea, and Zee felt her stomach churn with more anxiety than it had all morning. It seemed that getting this entire meeting over and done with would be harder than expected. But with a nervous smile Willy suggested as he walked around the bench to be next to her, closest to the gates, "Well…we should be moving along…"

"Alright." Willy led Zee to the gates and pulled out the most immense set of keys it was a wonder that Willy memorized any of it, even the first or last keys. This idea didn't seem to ever strike him, he pulled the correct key out immediately and unlocked the gate, entering and after Zee was on the property he shut the gates and sifted through his keys once more to find the front door's corresponding key to the lock.

The cold was shed for the warm as Zee was led inside by Willy who instantly threw off his coat onto the red-carpeted floor, instructing her to do the same as he smiled and threw off his glasses atop the jacket. Zee hesitantly threw hers off as well to reveal herself in all her silver and crimson and black-checkered glory. Pushing up her goggles she grinned at him as he turned to her.

At that time he would've said something, had it not been for her brilliant green eyes that seemed too oddly familiar for one meeting. He wracked his memory for even a fragment more of her but found nothing but the day at the jewelry store. Suddenly an overwhelming realization and refreshing of memory over swept him and he reminisced:

_It was back on Cherry Street and it was the beginning of autumn, it was always his favorite time of year, although he never indulged anyone with that information (who could he tell anyways?). The shop was lacking customers, it was near closing time and no one thought that there would be any time left, thinking they had to stand in line to await their purchase of Wonka's heavenly chocolate bars and lollipops and such. But there was customer; she came every day at the same time. Sometimes she bought something but it seemed that she was not as enthralled as the others to be having, it seemed she was more determined for something else not on the candy menu._

_There was nothing particularly normal about her. Long hair was in such a unruly state yet somehow it seemed so pleasant and calm with its accents of only hot pink. Normally she came in regular black jeans and a hooded sweatshirt of some sort, today was exception to that fact. "What can I get you?" asked the cashier politely; as he was instructed to do and this became so habitual it never came to mind anymore to be a polite gentleman to the deserving customer._

_"One of those," the lady pointed to the fudge mallow bar on the counter and the cashier smiled and took it from the stand. But Willy Wonka was watching from afar as he waited for closing time, afterwards he'd most likely take a stroll or something about the park—lately he'd become rather…restless. The woman handed over the money before the cashier had a slightest chance to ask for it and instead he handed her the chocolate bar with his customer-pleasing smile wide across his face, as it had been all day._

_One minute until closing and the woman left just in time. Willy, excusing himself, entrusted his fellow colleagues (and employees) to do the routine work of closing shop for the day as he followed the lady outside. It was not often he did this but their was an air of familiarity about her and setting aside that fact, he was hungry with curiosity as to how she always managed to come just at the same time right before closing—every. Single. Day._

_He tapped her on the shoulder as she stood at the street corner, contemplating something of some sort. "Miss?" he asked as she turned around to see who the holder of the finger was. _

_"Willy Wonka? What are you doing talk to me?" she asked, hiding her hand with her other as if ashamed of something—as if she had a secret not willing to divulge Willy in._

_"Who are you?"_

_"Z—" she cut herself off. No, telling him her real name would be BAD. BAD BAD BAD! "Erica. Erica Joules." Perfect, use a scientific measurement as your last name, why don't you. _

_They talked for a good long while, it was natural and it became accustomed for Erica to linger while she observed Willy and his employees closing the shop and leaving. Then they'd talk and their meeting place changed with the seasons. During the hotter months (or as warm as it got) they'd stay outside but during the cold seasons they'd go to a local café or restaurant to converse for a while. _

_But that changed entirely when he got his new factory. He never saw her again._

Willy understood who this mysterious Erica had been. It was Zee all along and he'd gotten along quite well with her. It was shocking, actually. But that was so long ago, had she changed? Did he? Now was not the time for self-examining, however, as Zee was starting to furrow her brows in a slight concern at him.

Their senses tingled as they started down the futuristic corridor that could be described as a foyer towards the main door. Every bone in their body screamed that this was a bad idea, that they should both turn and run away from each other, but they couldn't listen to those voices and Willy knew that sooner or later his father would be disappointed to hear that his son had never lived up to at least one thing he had set in motion for him. And Zee, well, what could be said about her except that it wouldn't hurt to show that she wasn't always in trouble for lack of good balance (most of the time it was clumsiness that got the best of her). So with this in mind, they stopped at the door and nodded in reassurance to themselves that this _had_ to be done.

**Yeah, I know, I haven't updated in a little while but I DO have a life (of course it might take you a few minutes to get over the shock of that).**

**Anywho, this was fun. I forgot how fun it was to make a new chapter worth posting. It's great to get over an extremely temporary hiatus with a decent update. I hope its decent. **

**Thanks to my reviewers: Maddison, Belle07, Thorn-the-Fastidious-Witch, whatsnext, Captain Jacquotte Turner, flipflopper333, Galasriniel, and Artoveli. To everyone else: REVIEW!**

**And finally, to Belle07: Why can't I?**


	3. Some Thoughts on Love

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Three: Some Thoughts on Love  
**

If there was ever a word to describe the marvelous, artful intelligence of this first room, Zee was sure of herself that she would've used it a million times or more to describe it. But this word didn't seem to exist, she couldn't seem to find the best of them all, so she stood, gaping at the room that was made entirely of candy save for the Bucket household by the chocolate riverside. Willy, meanwhile, was explaining the use of the chocolate waterfall, saying something about making the chocolate light and frothy—how it churns it up and whatnot. In conclusion to his small explanation he told her that it was the only chocolate factory in the world that mixed its chocolate by waterfall. There was an edge to his voice suggesting that he had memorized these lines and they weren't casual conversation to him, but his expression was so full of pride in his candy meadow that he couldn't even realize that he was doing it himself.

"You know, everything in this room is eatable," he added with a smile and turned to her. "Go on, try anything."

Zee gave him one hesitant look but he only nodded in a somewhat reassuring manner as she reached over and grabbed a candy apple off the tree and took a bite of it. The taste was a sugar rush but never seemed to be enough sweetness, it was addictive and even with your mouth tingling for more, it was still fulfilling somehow. There was no doubt in Zee's mind that Willy Wonka was truly a genius. "It's fantastic," she told him with a smile.

"Of course it is," Willy gave her another smile of his and walked around the meadow a little to the bridge and stopped in the middle, surveying the tiny candy world inside his factory. "The Oompa Loompas aren't anywhere in sight. How weird." For some reason or another he didn't move, instead he watched the meadow even more closely than he had before. "Let's go ask the Buckets."

"Uhm, what are you looking for, exactly?" Zee questioned him, hurrying a little to walk beside him as they crossed the chocolate river and made their short trek to the house by the river.

"The Oompa Loompas, my workers." Unfortunately with this explanation came no elaboration so Zee only raised an eyebrow and her upper lip's right corner twitched slightly—it often did this when she was confused, as odd as it was.

As Willy made to open the door and enter the Bucket household he stopped and turned to Zee and told her, "Wait here a second, okay?" He gave her one of his plastered sort of smiles and walked inside the house. Everything was as usual; nothing was out of order in the home. The Grandparents were in their bed, as always, Mr. Bucket was in the town buying some food for dinner set for that evening and Mrs. Bucket was cleaning up the house. But as with any other day, everyone who was once preoccupied turned to Willy as he entered. Today, however, they did not show a smile but a perplexed facial expression, checking the time. Willy was positive about what they were wondering but he ignored that circumstance just then.

"Hello Willy!" Mrs. Bucket said after a minute with a smile, as if forgetting everything that had once confused her.

"Have you seen the Oompa Loompas? I just can't find them in the meadow," Willy asked with her, eyebrows furrowed as he looked around as if somehow the Oompa Loompas had broken into the home and hidden away in the cupboards and under the table, for no apparent reason at that.

"I thought they were in the—" she stopped and put her broom against the countertop so it wouldn't fall before she walked over to the window and put her head to one side and smiled. "Well, Willy, they've found a friend." She turned back to him and pointed to the window.

Bewildered, Willy slowly crossed back to the window beside the door and looked out, curiosity filling him. But that curiosity was satisfied and replaced with a bit of amusement as he watched the Oompa Loompas slowly crawl out the most absurd hiding places imaginable to greet Zee with as much interest as a puppy meeting a new person. The facial expression on Zee's face was enough to make anyone smile. She was frozen to her spot and her eyes were wide as she watched them poke at her and smile their approval. "Isn't that just…weird," grinned Willy Wonka.

With Mrs. Bucket's company, Willy left the house and walked over to the scene of the crowd of Oompa Loompas and Zee. "Can—can you please tell them to stop?" Zee asked Willy with a slight plea of disparity, as if she was getting claustrophobic from over abundance of too many little people surrounding her, even in the giant room. "Please?"

"Alright scoot everyone!" Willy told them, waving his hands so they would scatter back to work before he stepped beside Zee who seemed a little rattled by the incident. "I have no idea what has gotten into them."

"Yeah…"

"Oh, this is Charlie's mom, Mrs. Bucket, by the way."

"Hi," Zee shook hands with her and smiled forcedly but nonetheless, friendly-like.

"So you're Zee Orman, the paper says your new toys are selling well," Mrs. Bucket smiled, engaging in a little light conversation before Mr. Bucket would come back and introductions would be complete.

"Really? I don't pay attention much anymore. The only thing worth paying attention to is my work, right?" It wasn't so much a question per say but a happily stated thought about Zee's opinion on her career, but it seemed to catch Willy's attention and he gave a smile at her with a certain gleam in his violet eyes.

At this point Mr. Bucket stepped into the conversation with his normal smile and a bag full of groceries in one arm. "Is this your company, Willy?" he asked. Willy nodded and introduced Mr. Bucket as Zee and Mr. Bucket shook hands. "Well, we shouldn't keep you."

Without another word both his wife and Mr. Bucket left inside the house and closed the door so once more Zee and Willy were left outside. It was now apparent to Zee that powdered sugar had begun to fall on them in the spirit of winter, it seemed that in all their interest the Oompa Loompas had forgotten to turn on the giant sugar shaker above the house. For a moment neither of them moved or said a word, as if in a sudden rush of thought so they couldn't move.

"Well, come on, I've got something to show you," Willy gave her a smile and turned and led Zee down the path along the river and the meadow and stopped at a low bank, watching a pink candy boat reminiscent of some sort of sea dragon float up the chocolate river, powered courtesy of Oompa Loompas to a beat of a drum. As it stopped beside them they all gave a mischievous smile to one another, which Zee didn't trust at all but Willy seemed quite accustomed to. "Onward!"

The boat gradually began to pick up speed and it was generally quiet save for the beat of the drum and the quiet mumbles so low that were not even understandable between anyone but the two Oompa Loompas engaging in conversation. But their glances towards Zee and Willy were not comforting and neither was the fact that they were going into a large tunnel and Willy called for the lights to be switched on and immediately they came into a drop that was so sudden, by instinct Zee grabbed the first thing she could, and that was Willy's hand.

Upon realizing this she thrust it away and smiled sheepishly but not for long as the ride became steadily more of a turning and all that sort of thing and she had forgotten completely about anything else but her fear of this boat.

Willy watched her, he was far too used to the boat ride though it did seem to be going faster than usual, before the most unexpected turn of events happened all in the blink of an eye so that in no way possible could it ever be fixed. The boat veered unexpectedly and turned on its side so everyone flew to the tipping left side of the boat but all the Oompa Loompas didn't slip further than that. Zee unfortunately did.

As the boat regained its normal position Willy leaned in over the edge of the pink sugar boat and peered into the chocolatey surface of the water. "I hope she can swim…" he muttered to himself, not wanting to be responsible for the death of the most infamous toy maker as of yet. The Oompa Loompas, however, did not seem worried of this as they grinned mischievously once more, the idea of these grins were unsettling.

Another moment passed by and Zee surfaced, covered from head to toe in chocolate. She shook her head like a dog so some of the chocolatey liquid spattered onto the sugar ride and some onto unlucky Oompa Loompas. One hand reached up and grabbed the pink siding and she hoisted herself into the row before Willy. It seemed only the Oompa Loompas found this a light-hearted affair but neither Zee nor Willy noticed this and neither did they speak.

Zee lay motionless in the boat for a while before she sat up and slowly looked at her chocolate covered hand and grinned, sticking one of her fingertips into her mouth and licking away the sugary and cocoa substance that was there. "Not half bad," she said finally before she looked down at the rest of her clothes that were now totally brown with no signs of there ever being another color, almost as if she had deliberately dumped herself into chocolate for her apparel that day—although it'd be hard to fashion clothes from liquid.

Willy gave a small laugh and ordered the Oompa Loompas to stop at an opening to a corridor where he could board the great glass elevator and get Zee cleaned up. The Oompa Loompas did this without objecting and they stopped at a door and Willy unlocked it and carefully helped Zee from the boat. They both stood on a metal platform just outside the doorway into the entrance hall and Zee was taking off her boots, as to not stain the red carpet immaculate with no dirt anywhere to be seen. Unfortunately for them, the chocolate factory workers were not ready to give up tormenting their employer or his new friend.

Zee watched with interest as music started up and all of them began to sing a song. It was strange to watch them dance in a chocolate river and have only the sugar boat as their stage, but they thought nothing of this, only the embarrassment this was causing the two of them. And so they started their singing…

_When candy turned his world upside down_

_He traveled all the way across town_

_Searching for what can't be found_

_While she made up her mind to be_

_What everyone else can't see_

_Brought together by force of heart_

When they'd rather be so far apart 

_Lost and found and trouble bound_

_Just because they are here by force_

_Doesn't meant they don't like this course_

_What hurts each other more than not?_

_It's going against this amazing plot_

_To get together the best with the best_

_And let love do the rest _

_You're lost and found—you're trouble bound_

_Searching far and searching wide_

_Don't take this as much of a surprise_

_When it was something right in front of your eyes_

_Lost and found—you're trouble bound_

_Searching for what's right beside_

_Stop searching for what's in front of your eyes_

The next thing either Willy or Zee knew, the Oompa Loompas pushed them into the corridor and the door swiftly shut behind them; only the red-carpeted hallway lay ahead. "Well…" he said before he smiled awkwardly and started walking, Zee followed closely behind before she saw the elevator and walked towards it, thinking it was a room. "Wait, no!" Willy shouted, though it was too late. Zee had run into the door.

On the ground she looked up at Willy, "Ow." She rubbed her face and got up, dizzily wavering as the door was opened and they stepped inside. She examined the rooms, some of them saying the most absurd things like 'Stars and Their Pies' and 'Black Box of Frogs' and 'Cocoa Cats'—curiosity overwhelmed Zee but she strongly resisted the urge to press all the buttons.

Willy perused the elevator rooms and scanned them until he found the one he was looking for and pressed it, forgetting to explain how the elevator worked, although Zee began to figure that out as it sped off, passing tons of rooms faster and faster each time before it suddenly came to a stop outside an immensely large door. Willy led her out of the glass box and into the small corridor and over to the door, taking out his massive set of master keys and taking one and unlocking the door, pushing it open.

Inside was a posh room of deep purple, white and black. There was a large desk and an oval mirror. On one wall was a window that Zee was certain she had never seen before, but of course, it was Willy Wonka—he could do anything. From his wardrobe, Willy produced a pair of pants and shirt and handed them to her while apologizing in his own round-about way, "Those Oompa Loompas have gotten out of hand, I'll have to talk to them when I get the chance."

Uncertainly Zee took the clothes and surveyed them, "You sure they'll fit?" She took a gander at him and then stared at herself in the mirror. He was rather tall—exceedingly tall—she barely reached his chin, perhaps if he just took off his shoes she might be right under his mouth. "You're…. tall and I'm…short."

"You don't want to stay in that all day, do you?"

"Not especially."

"Then that's better than nothing." He gave a small forced smile and Zee nodded in agreement.

She walked into the equally posh bathroom with a huge mirror and sink, the bathtub luxurious and the shower big enough to fit five people. All in all, Willy knew how to treat himself nicely with that fortune he raked in from his extra-scrumptious-delicious candy.

Hastily Zee undressed and turned on scorching hot water in the shower and stepped inside, washing her body clean of the chocolate as the extra liquid-y cocoa water swirled down the drain and disappeared, Zee smiling at the feeling of cleanliness.

Willy had less of a good time sitting on his bed and sighing, watching the clock on his wall with weariness. If he was any normal man he would've been more angered by the Oompa Loompas display and their song, but he was more concerned about the lyrics in it. How could they just accuse him of _love_? Sure, he had changed in the last year but love was just icky! All that touching: hand holding and hugging and kissing and—EW! He squirmed uncomfortably at the thought. Perhaps this was why he was never welcomed at school in his youth, he was too obsessed with candy to care for anything related to dating and girls and icky stuff like that and besides that, he couldn't date if he wanted too, he was already engaged at the age of only nine (which really wasn't that fair). However, all those childhood accusations were beside the point. What _was _the point was that he was facing a terrible predicament—he didn't know what he wanted anymore. Ever since he brought people into his reclusive life good and bad things have happened together—he was so confused as to whether or not this was even a good idea. But he had to admit, Zee was better than most he knew, he shivered at the thought of Zee being replaced with Mrs. Beauregarde—EW!!

"What am I going to do?"

**Hey! Look! I actually updated fast! GO ME! I would've updated much MUCH sooner had it not been for all this business. Homework, homework, regular life stuff and Haunted House crap—oh hell it's all just piling on and on! All in all I'm satisfied with this chapter actually hope you are too. Thanks especially to my reviewers: Belle07 and ChopSuiFish**

**To Belle07: Oh I wasn't trying to sound rude, sorry if I did XD and no offense taken, I was rather upset with myself for not getting updates up quickly enough. But I've gotten renewed enthusiasm.**

**REVIEW EVERYONE!!!  
**


	4. Mischievious Intent

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Four: Mischievous Intent**

Zee startled into a fully awake state, drenched in cold sweat and breathing heavily from a deranged dream she had been involved in during her sleep. Grateful for it only being a dream she groped on her right for the lamp but felt only silken something and hair. Hair? Suddenly it dawned on her and she snapped her hand to her collarbone and curled into a ball. Memories flooded her mind's eye. After a long, friendly yet slightly awkward (as in shy, quiet) conversation in a small fire lit room down the corridor from the bedroom and then dinner, Willy suggested that it being so late and she being so tired, she just stay over. The bed was big enough, for sure. It could fit four comfortably and five if they snuggled. So, not wanting to object, she stayed there for the night, only finding she'd forgotten this during her sleep.

Of course, she found quite quickly that she could not lull herself back to sleep as she stared at the ceiling, the light outside steadily growing into the early morning sunrise as the light delicately poured onto the shaggy white carpet. Zee took one look at the bathroom door and sighed, carefully slipping off the bed and creeping across the bathroom, closing the door to a shut without a single sound.

The room was as calm and tranquil as his bathroom yet it had a more peaceful glow to it during the morning that made her regret having to turn on the lights so she could start her bath.

Turning on the hot water, she peeling off her borrowed clothes and gratefully dipped into the hot water. For a moment she merely pushed about the bubble clouds floating about her but as always during bubble baths, her mind started to wander away from the bathroom she was currently relaxing in. Her thoughts, instead, ran towards her toy factory and a much-needed visit with her parents, which she was planning on doing sometime soon, seeing as she was finally out of her own factory for more than just an afternoon.

But as all temporary good things come, they must go and Zee stared at he wrinkled hands and sighed, defeated, reaching for the plug and draining the water as she stepped out and engulfed herself in a soft towel, drying her hair so it stuck out in all directions and pulled on the too-long for her pants and too-big for her shirt that Willy had graciously presented to her and rolled the sleeves and bottoms up so they would at least show ever so slightly. The final touch was her goggles before she sent her pajamas down the laundry chute and walked into the bedroom.

Willy was still sound asleep, sprawled out across the bed amidst the silken sheets and his own silken pajamas. Zee smiled at how peaceful he looked in his sleep, although knowing that normally everyone looked much calmer in their sleeping state if they weren't in a nightmare's midst.

It was two hours after the time that Zee left that Willy woke up. The cheerfully glow of the Thursday morning light greeted him as he looked about the once more, lonely room. If he knew any better he might've missed some company but that'd be silly, wouldn't it? As he got up and took the hot cocoa Mrs. Bucket sent up, he stared out the window. There were small beams of light coming from the pearly white clouds as small flakes fell from the sky and stuck to the ground below them in a dreamy sort of state.

Marshmallows melted into his mouth as he took a seat by his large window and thought once more to yesterday. He wasn't even sure if he had a good time or not, it was as if his mind was clouded from yesterday and all he could remember clearly was that happening with the sugar boat and the chocolate river and that song. Now he was certain that he wasn't positive on whether or not to get mad at these Oompa Loompas who seemed to be setting a course for Willy and Zee without either's consent—darn those mischievous little devils!

In the edges of the western side of town, Zee sat in parlor of her parent's house, the Ormans. Her mother was busy in the kitchen, as always when her youngest daughter came over for a visit and as always her father was relaxing in his chair, scanning the morning paper for anything interesting. He grinned and reported loud enough for his wife to hear in the next room, "Our little girl's toys are selling very well!"

Zee frowned at this. She had recalled a time when they had looked at her career choice in utter disdain. There was a time when she spent months that leaked into years not having any contact with her parents because of how totally angry they were with her at the time. Yet now, as she had grown into a giant success, they cared all too much as if suddenly if she died she'd will all her money to her already wealthy parents, but she knew deep down that finally some maternal and paternal pride was showing through that grudge.

"I know, it's been everywhere lately," Mrs. Orman smiled as she brought in coffee for her husband and a mixture of orange juice and apple juice for her daughter along with a plate of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. "So…"

Zee knew what was coming, she shuddered at how every visit she went through this ordeal but now she couldn't just reply the same as they were expecting, she had to be truthful. "Have you seen Willy Wonka yet?" Mrs. Orman asked. Mr. Orman looked up with equal interest and folded his paper up nicely, setting it aside.

Taking in a large breath, Zee told the truth, "I-I just came back from his—er—chocolate factory…that's why I don't have my own clothes on." Her parents gave her a terrible look and she caught on to what they were meaning quite quickly. "No! Not like that! I meant that I fell into this chocolate thing and then he had to lend me some clothes and I left without them. That's it. That's all. Nothing else. No."

They sighed in some relief and gave her a happy grin. Her mother stood as Zee did and grabbed her shoulders, giving her an immense hug and Mr. Orman followed suit. "Well then we'll need to start planning that wedding, won't we?"

"One a few conditions," Zee held up her hand and then lifted up her finger. "One, I'm not wearing a dress. Two, there will be no birds or flowers or ice sculptures or big churches. Three, No pink, no peach, no lavender, no baby blue, and no magenta."

"Oh, of course I knew that, honey!" It seemed that even while she said this, Mrs. Orman was disappointed, and Zee was unsettled by the fact that her mother—all different from Zee—was planning the wedding. Perhaps she and Willy could have a secret wedding so she wouldn't have to endure the painful ordeal of what her mother would make her suffer with.

Mrs. Orman had worrying of her own. Her youngest of three children was always the strangest. Mrs. Orman's other children were a bit disappointed in the way Zee grew up—away from all things any normal girl would immerse herself in. No flowers adorned her bedroom and no pastel shades ever became her favorite color. And there was that entire ordeal of dresses. Zee despised, hated and loathed dresses. Skirts were fine. Dresses were murder.

"Well sit down and eat, you're getting to be too skinny! Willy Wonka needs to fatten you up!" Mrs. Orman pushed her daughter into a chair and handed her drink concoction and bustled off to do motherly work again.

For a while only the rustling of pages came and went as Mr. Orman had seated himself and began reading the paper again. Zee sipped at her drink and took bites here and there at the cinnamon roll, it was strange how she was barely hungry at all lately, if she knew any better she might've worried—but of course, she didn't. Then, all of a sudden her father set down the paper and smiled at his daughter and began, "It's been forever since you've seen your sisters."

Sisters. Zee tried so hard not to think about her sisters. They were everything mom and dad wanted them to be. Marine, their oldest daughter was a surgeon in London married to a rich banker named Scott Prescott (Zee thought it was a funny name for a man). The middle child was Jacqueline—an equally fortunate daughter who did work in London as well. Jacqueline was a lawyer and was the patrol officer of the three girls and was married to a Rick Dawson and had two children, Aerial and Greg.

"They're coming, you know. Now you can show them how far you've gotten. We'll be inviting Willy for dinner with us this Friday when they fly in. You two would enjoy it, I'm sure." The way Mr. Orman was beaming made it impossible for Zee to show her complete hatred for the idea and she had no choice but to smile back, though inwardly groaned. This Friday she'd have to meet her sisters _and_ invite Willy to re-unite with her long-lost family of perfection.

"I need my lucky penny," Zee got up and half-bowed apologetically to her father and scurried out the door and to her factory, the entire time she ranted endlessly about how much bad luck she had received since that stupid note Willy Wonka mailed her the other day.

Inside the chocolate factory Willy silently pondered on how any of this was going to work. Okay, he had to admit, he didn't utterly disgust Zee's company and he also had to confess that she was pleasing to the eye, but how would any of this work out when he was so reclusive. He'd also recalled that Charlie was due to arrive from school any moment now, and that in doing so he'd most likely recollect every one of his complimentary thoughts on Zee to him in the Inventing Room Willy would soon be waiting for him in—if, that is, he decided to be a nice mentor and join is one and only pupil.

Charlie Bucket had other plans as he was let out of school at three 'o' clock sharp that afternoon. The air was still brisk with sharp cold but merely pulled tighter at his jacket and made his way clear across town to the opposing toy factory across from Willy Wonka's. It had spiraling towers and large gates and two stone stature toys quietly awaiting any arrival. Charlie rang a small bell on the stony wall and waited.

A gate opened and he stepped inside, and across a thickly snowed upon lawn to front door, which opened exactly as the gates closed and clicked to an inevitable lock. Charlie hesitantly walked inside to find that he was in much a cube of checkered paint. The wall to his right was red and black, the wall behind him was black and white as well as the one before him, and the one to his left was gray and maroon and the ceiling and floor were red and white. "Uhm…Mrs. Zee?" Charlie asked the lonely room.

A silver small man stepped into the room, all smiles as he corrected in a sort of computerized tone, "It's not Mrs., you know, its Ms. She's not married…yet." Charlie first was fooled into thinking it was a real man, just miniaturized and silver but he realized that at once he was a toy robot who had answered his call. "You're here for Ms. Orman?"

"Yes…I'm Charlie Bucket."

The toy robot nodded and gestured animatronically for him to follow, which Charlie did without a word otherwise. He, unfortunately, did not get a good look at the factory because the toy robot stopped and rung a bell and spoke in a microphone, "Do you trust him?"

"Of course I trust Charlie!" came a familiar voice. "If he told anyone about my factory, well, he'd owe me so much money for me to redo it." Charlie understood the secrecy of it; he didn't want to spoil the same wonder that was presented in her factory as it was in Willy Wonka's. No one had ever worked in her factory, and Charlie understood why, those robots seemed more intelligent than any average man in his pathetically small town.

The toy robot moved again and Charlie followed into a room that was primary colored boarding station as if a train would come by. Seeing as the little robot did not speak, neither did Charlie but then a loud speaker gave way for a voice to report to the nearly lonesome station that there was a train pulling in, in exactly two minutes—so they waited.

It was amazing how fast time could travel when one was just standing about because it seemed that a mere half a minute had passed before the train came and hissed to a halt before Charlie and the robot, both of which entered and sat on a plush seat. The entire aura the train gave off was of one that was reminiscent of those toy train sets a little boy would play with. Often times Charlie had wished in his youth to have one, but was too poor for it. He had savored any second he was near on in a toyshop in much the same way he had savored the candy he received every birthday since his growing fascination with the chocolate factory had finally been revealed to his parents and his toothpaste cap rendition of the factory was started.

The train didn't reveal much of the factory at all, it stayed in a dark tunnel but Charlie had a feeling that it had more than one path because there were two tunnels in the station. One was clear and one was dark. The only sign inside the dark tunnel of there being and progression height-wise was the fact that Charlie was slowly sliding down the seating on the right side of the train.

In much the same was it had taken for the train to arrive it also had taken little time to get to the destination and Charlie got off with the silvery robot once more and followed him down a narrowed hallway with a sort of hourglass shape to it. A door at the end was the same hourglass shape but a diagonal line across it separated the silver from the black and red checkers. Charlie was beginning to conclude that Zee fancied black and red checkerboards.

"Come in," came the response from the robot's knock upon the door and he ushered Charlie inside, shutting it after him.

The room was large with high ceilings, the company's crest behind Zee's desk of oversized cards and hats stacked upon each other in a neat chaos. The window did not show a view of the chocolate factory but of vast, snowy land and small homes. This office was an exact duplicate of the one she had in the most personal part of her home. It seemed that somehow she had foreseen company that day. "Sit down, Charlie," Zee offered, looking up from her work. Her goggles were set on the desk and she instead had rimless glasses perched upon her nose. "I hate these things. Only help when I'm reading, really," she put down the spectacles and watched Charlie with interest.

"I wanted to come here…to talk to you."

"About?" there was a tone of suspicion in Zee's voice.

"You and Mr. Wonka." The statement was simple but oh so complex at the same time. Yet Zee knew that this moment would come and that in due time Charlie had the right to know about the miniscule past of the toy maker and the chocolatier. "What _really_ happened?"

Zee grimaced but turned back to him with a smile and got up from her seat, clutching in her hands a shiny copper American penny, this was her lucky penny. "There's not a lot to say you know—"

"Please?"

So, in a lapse of defeat, Zee recollected everything to Charlie about the time from her youngest years to the time when she last saw Willy, all of it seemed rather simple to her but Charlie's thoughtful face proved otherwise and Zee wasn't at all content as she had started to twist her hands together uncontrollably with anxiety.

"But why didn't you ever talk to Mr. Wonka?" Charlie persisted. "There isn't a good enough reason. He was shy, but you weren't. You even told me."

"Was there a reason I had to? There was no way getting around our destiny, so I let it go that way."

"That's not a good excuse. You liked him." Charlie face was smug and he crossed his arms in a satisfied gesture, this was actually what he had come for. Seeing as Willy was somewhat of an older brother to him, he could almost go as far to say that Zee was going to be his sister in-law, so as any younger brother would do, he'd pick on his new sister in-law.

"Fizzies! You don't get it! I didn't like him I—"

"Then who DID you like?"

"No one!"

"You're a bad liar."

"I thought little boys thought love was icky, anyways." Zee pouted and put her hands to her hips.

"_I_ don't want to have anything to do with love, but you and Mr. Wonka…"

"What about him and I?"

"My mom said you'd make a good couple." He smiled with mischief and amusement written clear across his face as he remembered his mother telling his father that as Zee and Willy walked away from the house last night after dinner.

"Do you have any _reasonable_ proof for your accusations, little boy?"

"You visited him everyday right before his shop closed—he was all to yourself and you talked for hours but you lied to him about who you were. Why lie?"

"Okay, I'll humor you. Say I did happen to fall for Willy Wonka and I did only go to his candy shop to see him. Why in the world, then, would he deliberately be behind the counter when I walked in as soon as he realized what my intent was?"

"Because he liked you back."

Zee furrowed her eyebrows and let her jaw go crooked in a pout that Charlie found quite amusing. "Why don't you admit it, anyways?" he asked her, getting up from his seat to look at her. "If you do then why can't you just accept this?"

"I don't know…"

Charlie's eyes widened and he let out a smile as he jumped up and down and ran to the door. "Ha! You admitted it!"

A dawning realization set in and Zee ran after him as he pranced out the door, telling her all the way down the long, narrow corridor that he was going to go tattle on her to Willy and his parents. "No, don't!" Zee ran down the hall after him and grabbed him in a headlock. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Does that mean it's true?"

"_Promise_?"

"Yes, I promise!"

"Good, now follow Bernstein out of the factory." Zee let go of him and let the familiar toy robot take away Charlie while she closed the door shut and stared out the window to the empty, snowy path behind her factory and sighed, defeated. "My luck's just about out…."

Charlie rushed into the Inventing Room; apologizing about being so late while saying he had got caught up in a conversation with one of his acquaintances at school. Willy forgave him and started working on their newest candy before Charlie's mischief-soaked intent showed through a grin on his lips as he daringly asked his mentor, "Willy? I've got something to tell you…."

**Holy hell its monstro chapter! Yeah, I wanted to fit a lot in, I apologize for it being like…two pages longer. Anywho, it just seems that luck does run thin sometimes, doesn't it? Not saying Charlie's helping whatsoever…I always thought Charlie was far too nice, but his parents brought him up damn good I guess. Don't murder me for making him a little bit of a… prankster…in this chapter, please.**

**Review or I'll send evil choco-monkeys upon you!  
**


	5. A Great Couple

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Five: A Great Couple**

Willy curiously looked up from his work and cocked his head to own side, his undivided attention set upon his star pupil. "Yes, Charlie?" he asked after a minute, when Charlie did not answer.

In all matters of truth, Charlie was a terrible liar, he couldn't lie to save his soul but he couldn't let this chance to torment two of the most famous inventors in all of human history go ignored—not yet, at least. Grinning he sat down and spun mindlessly on the stool beside his almost-brother's body. "Well…I sort of hoping you could tell me a little about you and Ms. Zee…there has to be more." Willy stared into pleading eyes and he struggled as he thought over the idea. "I'll get mom to make pumpkin bread again." Bribery. Charlie was surprised at how easily it slipped off his tongue but it was so common in movies and even at his school that through the actions of others he understood it perfectly.

Will had to admit, that pumpkin bread was darn good and he absolutely adored it when Mrs. Bucket made it. But that was always around Thanksgiving and he did, on certain occasions, do some innocent bribing of his own to gain at least one loaf of the savory bread. So, in a moment of most admiral defeat, Willy sat down across from Charlie and sighed, his violet eyes set upon the bubbling test tube before him.

In a vague recollection, Willy was lost in remembering aloud the tales he and Zee had. It was, unsurprisingly much the same as Zee's was with different wording and a different side telling more Willy and less of her. Charlie wasn't at all shocked to hear such similarities; in fact, he was rather satisfied with it. "Did you ever like her?" Charlie boldly questioned.

Willy's eyes widened as he turned to the little boy before him, frozen in disbelief at what he had so daringly told him. "Charlie I don't think—"

"My mom said you two would make a great couple." Charlie had to admit, he was having a great time in the process of torturing them, he now was beginning to understand why the Oompa Loompas were always so happy—they did things such as this all the time. "Both my grandmas agreed and Grandpa Joe thought you two had secretly liked each other for a long time…he saw her everyday at the candy shop."

"If she wanted to see my candy shop just like everyone else, there's nothing criminal in it," defended Willy, his arms crossed and he turned away from the boy. Suddenly he felt guilty. He'd left numerous things out that he was never willing to share with anyone, not even the object of—no, that's not true. She was the subject of his fascination. "What is criminal is your behavior."

Charlie felt a little like Willy was his second father at times, he noticed at certain points that Willy was much older than his personality led him to be. At times he was more mature than he ought to be, and this was one of those times. Slightly ashamed, Charlie swiveled in his chair and tinkered with the test tubes for a long time before he excused himself and laughed as Willy called after him, "I still want that bread!"

Zee had dozed off in the comfort of her personal library just in front of a light fire. A knock on the door resounded and she startled, groggily examined the room she found herself in and sighed, setting down the book and getting up and answering the door. It was Bernstein, her most trusted robotic assistant. In his hands was a piece of paper and pen she had asked for only so recently, it sent a wave of relief. She had barely sent out for him so it must've been so very recent that she had decided to nap.

"Thanks," she smiled at him and he disappeared as she stood and sat cross legged on the Persian rug covered hardwood floor and set the blank paper on the table and bit at the end of the calligraphy pen. "What to write…what to write…" for a decent time she sat motionless in thought before she decided on the right choice of words and smiled as she dipped the pen in the ink and began to write:

_Dear Mr. Willy Wonka,_

Should she really address him as Mr.? He was her fiancé, were formalities still in play? It took her a while to debate on this but in the end she decided that a nice change wouldn't hurt and she started a fresh sheet of paper and wrote again until it was all finished and she rung up another robot and ordered him to take it directly to Willy Wonka. She grinned at it turned into a helicopter and zoomed off. She watched it fly out of sight into the darkening sky and leaned back against the chair, this week was murder—or so it seemed.

Willy, however, was in his bedroom, staring out the window before he noticed the most peculiar thing approaching that very window before him. It was a toy helicopter. At first he wasn't entirely sure what it was all about but a bemused grin spread across his face as he realized who was sending him a little note and he quickly opened the window to let the toy come in.

It at once took the invitation gratefully and flew in with a putter and dropped the letter on the bed and hovered silently above Willy's head as he unwrapped the message and read it.

_Dear Willy Wonka,_

_My dearest parents decided to invite my two sisters (Marine and Jacqueline) over for dinner Friday. They're coming from London so the least I can do is join them. Worst to all this yet is that they decided to not only invite me but requested your presence as well. I hope you can come. Cherry Street at five 'o' clock sharp, got it? _

_Sincerely,_

_Zee Orman_

_P.S.- Sorry, I wish I didn't have to invite you._

Willy thought it over a moment and took a pen and neatly wrote on the backside of the paper, "I'll be there." And sent it back off with the helicopter. From what he read, she was not at all looking forward to this so the least he could do is present himself as nicely as he could tomorrow.

So as the night befell the silent little town the two factories towered in and the morning rose and passed, Zee began to worry. All day she had been cooped in her office, which not only gave her view of the chocolate factory but of her parent's house. All afternoon she dreaded the fact that she'd have to face her sisters. But she found some more comfort in knowing that Willy would be there with her, unlike so many occasions when she had to face problems like this on her own and none the less both her sisters at the same time.

Perhaps this occasion was even worse than meeting Willy. She didn't have to impress him, there was a small sense of trust that she had already put in him and he hadn't failed her yet, and what was she to say he would? He was betrayed so that wouldn't make him a betrayer. But her sisters, no matter what she did, judged her. Judging was a crime ought to be punishable in Zee's opinion from how often she was judged and not very often was it friendly. It was a contest and Zee was had poor luck at contests.

So as she sat in her closet she pouted, upset at how childish she was being. It was like being at home again when her sisters would always dress fancier and do better than her. Pulling on a black skirt and velvety red jacket overtop a plain black tank top she eyed herself in the mirror as she slipped on her familiar fingerless gloves, her boots and her ring. "They'll have to deal with it," she finally said and grabbed another jacket and pulled it on as she stepped into a small room and pressed a button.

A toy-like airplane came to a stop before her and she climbed most lady-like into it and smile as it sped off and landed just in the foyer and sped off again as soon as she climbed out. The robots waved goodbye and she nervously smiled and left as well. The walk to Cherry Street was a slow one but nonetheless she enjoyed it and she smiled as she saw Willy there exactly when she came. "Hi." She smiled at him.

"Hello," Willy grinned back and wavered a little, not entirely sure what to do. So they left to the house without much talk at all. It was fairly far away but the walk was a pleasant one that neither minded. There were two cars parked outside and Zee gulped, stopping short and stared at the house form across the street. "Something wrong?" Willy finally asked after she just stood.

"I'm not going to be able to face them. They're so perfect and I know the look they always give me!" Zee blurted out and hung her shoulders. "I can't stand that disappointed, disgusted face."

Moved with pity and reminding himself that if he didn't start working on this human interaction thing this would never work, Willy slowly pushed his arms away from his body and embraced Zee warmly. Zee was amazed at how good his hugs were. It was perfect, it made her want to sigh and forget her troubles. The rich aroma of chocolate and vanilla was thick on him and she grinned widely at the fact. Willy was having a rather nice time scenting the tasty aroma of Zee, which he couldn't quite describe but it was some sort of cotton candy perfume, and freshly baked cakes.

"Thank you, Willy," Zee finally told him and smiled and he let go of her and he smiled as well. It was a real smile, she saw that much. It wasn't fake, it wasn't false and it wasn't what she had faced for the past two days. It was nice to see that Willy Wonka could show emotion.

So together they traveled up the stone steps and Zee rang the doorbell with a much more light spring to her step, her heart not pounding as the doorknob twisted and she wasn't at all unhappy to see her sister Jacqueline at the door. "Oh it's Zee!" Jacqueline called in her usual perky tone and ushered for her sister to come inside and shut the door but Zee stopped the door halfway from slamming in front of Willy's face. "What? —"

"You're forgetting someone," Zee smiled and was about to pull the door back open when Mr. Orman waltzed in and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear.

"We haven't told them yet," he whispered with a big grin.

Zee, however, was not amused as she frowned and asked in shock, "Why?"

"We wanted you and him to say it."

"But—but—" Zee stammered and rushed through the doorway and slammed it behind her again and panicked at Willy, "They haven't told them!"

"Told them what?" Will questioned in confusion, his eyebrows furrowed.

Zee rolled her eyes and held up her ring and pointed back and forth between her self and Willy as she elaborated, "You and I actually—er—you know! Getting married."

"Oh," Willy frowned and looked at the door behind her. "That's not…good."

'Yeah…" Zee heaved a breath and turned back to the door. "Well…let's go explain everything." What was once extreme paradise in the form of her feeling so calm was now a disastrous mess of panic and anxiety. Turning back to Willy she said, "Just….wait here a second, okay?" she stepped into the house. Her audience had grown from a mere two people to the entire family of her mother, father, Marine and her husband, Jacqueline, Aerial, Greg, and Rick. Now from a mere panic to entire stricken frozen state she cocked her head to the right side of her body and quickly stuttered, "F-Family? I've g-got some imp-important news to t-t-tell you."

After a moment's silence, Greg frowned and crossed his arms across his chest and asked, "Well? Tell us."

Zee frowned and glared at him, loosing control of her nervous that was now replaced by irked annoyance. "I am, little boy," she hissed and turned back to the rest of the family with a bit of an awkward smile on as she announced after taking another deep breath, "As you all know, I was engaged some time ago…" she took a glance at her parents and went on, "It has recently become apparent that this engagement be fulfilled so my fiancé, Willy Wonka, will be joining us tonight for dinner." The entire speech was much more formal than Zee was ever accustomed to, it didn't at all suit her to be so prim.

But it was soon obvious that only her parents and sisters knew of this for Scoot, Rick, Aerial and Greg were all shocked to hear this and double took as she opened the door behind her back with her two first fingers and stepped aside so Willy could come in and stand next to her. "I thought I'd let you know…seeing as some other people didn't," Zee took another irked glance at her parents and remained silent, the news and visual proof sinking in.

All at once, the family swarmed around them and Zee's sisters both took her and squeezed her tight, she felt like a pixie among all her tall family members and Willy. Greg and Aerial examined every bit of Willy, straight down to what the fibers on his jacket could supposedly be. The room was full of chaotic congratulations and Willy wasn't entirely sure how in the world Zee ever by with such a hectic family but he politely shook Scott's, Mr. & Mrs. Orman's, and Rick's hands one after the other.

"I can't believe it, it's so great!" Marine exclaimed, shaking Zee's shoulders as Jacqueline lovingly played with her younger sister's hair as Marine spoke. "You know what? I think you two make a great couple."

Willy, who also heard that last comment, froze with Zee and both of them sighed, surrendering any last chance of ever escaping that accusation of being a cute or great couple.

**Oh how dare they accuse them of such a fowl thing as being a cute or great couple! Ha, I bet they've heard that far too many times. Anyways, thanks for all those reviews and I really wish everyone else would review. I started out with a great turnout of reviewers and now I'm down to one or two—it's not fair!**


	6. A Family of Fun

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Six: A Family of Fun**

The entire family sat down for dinner later that evening after the commotion had settled. Aerial and Greg fought for the seat beside Willy and in the end, both sat on either side, beaming brightly at their parents who rolled their eyes in a playful manner. Willy stared across the table as the rest of the family busied themselves with conversation. He was relieved to see that he wasn't the only person remaining quiet at the table, because Zee didn't partake in the conversation either. Instead, both of them gave each other a grin, there was a gleam in Willy's violet eyes that she could not place. "_What's going on_?" she asked herself, her eyes widening as the rest of the family settled for begin eating and Willy's glimmer turned into curiosity. "Can I be excused for just a moment?" Zee finally questioned, her eyes still on Willy before she tore her gaze away from him almost forcedly and turned to her father at the end of the table.

"Of course, honey, something wrong?" Mr. Orman began to stand but Zee beat him too it and assured him that everything was fine, she just needed a little bit of space, she was getting claustrophobic from all the people at the table.

Though of course, claustrophobia was not the case at the present time being. What _was_ the case was an overwhelming realization that had struck her in a most unexpected way. Zee faced herself in the mirror that hung on the bathroom wall; she leaned heavily on the tile-covered counter that housed the sink. Making sure the bathroom door was tightly shut and locked she sighed and turned on the faucet, patting water on her face. "What's going on?" she repeated to the stationary room as if the bathtub or toilet would reply.

Mothers weren't the only ones that had a caring intuition, because both Marine and Jacqueline excused themselves as well, both with the same sort of hunch as they made to the bathroom and knocked on the door, not at all surprised to hear that Zee only persisted that they leave her for a few minutes. "Open the door," Jacqueline ordered, her hands on her hips. "Zee, don't be immature."

Marine rolled her eyes as Zee only told them to go away and she pulled a bobby pin from her thick brown hair and unlocked the door and stepped inside with Jacqueline beside her. The door shut again and the sisters were all left in the bathroom, safely away from prying ears. "Tell us what's going on," Marine lovingly commanded, playing with her younger sister's hair in a family-like manner.

"That's just it…I have no idea what's going on," Zee admitted and looked into strikingly blue-green eyes Marine carried.

"Then tell us what happened during prayer,'" Jacqueline went on; leaning against the counter as her other sister sat on the rim of the bathtub. It was cramped in the minute bathroom but it somehow accommodated the three sisters quite easily as they improvised seating. A perplexed Zee turned instead to her sister and opened her mouth to ask how she knew this but Jacqueline held up a finger and smiled. "We glanced up to see you two. So tell us what exactly happened."

Taking a deep breath, Zee educed to her sisters what those few minutes held, "Well…you know Willy…. just looked at me and for some reason we both just—"

"Smiled," grinned Marine.

"Yeah…that…. But then I noticed something I never remembered before, there was something about his eyes that—"

"Made you wonder?" Jacqueline guessed correctly.

"Okay, I can stop telling you anytime, you know," Zee pouted, obviously getting annoyed by all the interruptions. The sisters both apologized and she went on, "I just don't know what came over me. It's like my heart skipped beating…it feels really weird."

Although their ignorant little sister did not understand it, the two older girls did and they each exchanged grins and Marine bluntly stated, "You love him."

"What?" Zee was flabbergasted to say the least. How could her sisters accuse her for that? Love? Never. He was…attractive, yes. Charming, perhaps. Wonderful to be around, indeed and perhaps she had somewhat of a miniscule infatuation with him but love was crossing the boundaries. Zee never even felt what love was supposed to feel like. She read in some novel that love was something about being able to float on clouds almost and sing in the shower even if you had a terrible voice. As Zee recaptured the last couple of days, she found nothing on singing in showers or almost floating on clouds. She did feel, however, a tugging sensation that had ran her away from her work and into the solitary confinements of her offices and personal rooms where Bernstein rarely visited—or any of the other numerous robots.

"You. Love. Him," repeated Jacqueline with an equally smug smile that matched perfectly Marine's on her face. Zee opened her mouth to protest but they both shook their heads and giggled. "Wonderful, love, isn't it?"

"No because I have no idea what you're talking about!" Zee stood and glared at them. "You know I was thinking about not coming at all. You two can be so—so—" she stopped. Had she not come she wouldn't have had that little moment outside the house but then she thought of something and her eyes narrowed suspiciously towards Jacqueline as she indicted, "You knew about it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jacqueline looked at her fingers lazily, but her eyes shifted to their corners as she watched Zee.

"You saw us, that's why you're saying that!"

"Saw you?" Marine arched a brow and grinned, a hand on her hip as she poked her youngest sister's shoulder. "What exactly was 'us' doing?"

Before Zee could elaborate, Jacqueline did it for her and explained, "Oh, you know, our normally on-time sis' was getting rather late so I checked the window to see if she was coming down the lane or something. And guess what I see? Nothing else but her and our dearest almost-brother-in-law hugging each other in a rather _romantic_ way right outside our house—then Zee went on smiling rather widely for not being in love."

Marine's eyes widened and her jaw went slack before she gasped, "Really?"

"Really."

In the meanwhile Willy began to become a little uneasy at how long the three sisters had been absent from the table, as everyone else was. Their plates were nearly 75 clean and still they hadn't returned. Rick and Scott exchanged looks of curiosity, trying to shrug it off as meaningless before out marched Zee, pouting as she sat across from Willy and silently began to eat. Marine and Jacqueline came out in a civilized manner with an air of smugness they could not hide as they took their seats and ate as well. Both of them glanced up in time to see Willy's eyebrows furrow in concern for his fiancé—their devilish teasing was complete and now they even had their piece de resistance.

So as dinner came to a close and their visit ended, Zee and Willy walked out of the house, neither sure about what to say. It was almost as if they had gone back to that awkward day they had first met. As the friendly air between them disappeared, Zee found that she had missed it; She had missed it miserably almost. She recalled the days when she'd visit his candy shop on Cherry Street and spend hours talking with him in the park or in a café. They hadn't any intention to go further than cups of hot chocolate (as both of them swore of coffee long before—and it was little trouble) and presents of candy. Zee now felt like pleading to whoever watched over her in the heavens to give those happy days back. She wished for simplicity that wasn't there. "_It comes with being old_," Zee disdainfully thought.

**Old people…them thinking they're some old person. So, I hope you enjoyed it. Good day!**

**REVIEW OR FACE THE HANGMAN'S NOOSE—wait, wrong movie. Erm…REVIEW OR FACE THE SAME FATE AS AUGUSTUS GLOOP MWUAHAHAHAHA!! …Ha.**


	7. Lucky Penny

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Seven: Lucky Penny  
**

As Zee contemplated on all the possible aspects of what happens when one becomes old, Willy groaned, wavering violently and blinking a million times a second as if in a slight daze. Zee looked over and her eyes widened in horror and rage all at once. It was apparent that her family had safely drugged Willy using a family secret that was totally harmless but rather potent. They used it in the most necessary of cases and obviously to them, this was one of those cases.

Just as Willy was about to fall, Zee caught him and leaned him against her, throwing his arm of dead weight carelessly around her shoulder so it hung on the left side of her neck lifelessly. Although Willy was still conscious, that could easily change depending on how much of each ingredient her family put in. So Zee made haste and let Willy partially carry himself down the lane, but it was soon to be found that if she went all the way to Willy's factory and tried to explain everything and then find his bedroom, he might be fully asleep and that wasn't what Zee wanted to happen so she walked him to her factory and pulled out a key and unlocked the gates and closed them behind her and entered the factory. Willy let out a most unmanly-like giggle as he looked around, his head rolling about on his neck as if he was a little baby who's neck still wasn't strong enough to support its giant head.

The robotic servants that Zee had employed as her loyal workers quickly took notice of the situation and readied behind her in an alert queue, so at any given time they could catch either Zee or Willy, or quite possibly, both as Bernstein ran to make ready the train so that the second they arrived, so would it.

With difficultly, Zee positioned Willy comfortably in the seat beside her on the train as it began to ascend a track that was as if it was a hot wheels "roller coaster". Zee seemed too accustomed to it but Willy's eyes widened in an almost drunken haze as he saw the steep drop into the stuffed animal section of the factory. They went so fast, it seemed to Willy, that he couldn't recognize anything but the ascending and descending of the train until it came with a hissing stop to the station and Zee, with the help of her robotic friends, extracted Willy and helped him into the first guest bedroom of her factory. As they stepped inside Willy grumbled nearly incoherently but Zee made out what he said with no difficultly, "It doesn't smell like cotton candy and cakes."

"No need to be picky," Zee mumbled but took him into the room beside that. Once again he complained about the smell and the same with the next three until she was forced to shove him back into the train and depart with only Bernstein behind her up into her personal quarters. This took a lot of spiraling and turning of the train, seeing as her quarters were on the total opposite side of the factory—in the tallest tower.

Bernstein accompanied the couple to her bedroom and bowed politely and waited patiently in the hallway, expecting some sort of order or a dismissal. Zee, meanwhile, laid Willy on the bed as he had a wide smile on his face and he told her in a pleasant tone, "_This_ smells like cotton candy and cakes." Zee could tell that he was quickly falling asleep so she ran to her bathroom and pulled from the cabinet an emergency remedy for the side-affects of the agent her parents drugged Willy with. She opened his mouth slightly and tipped the bottle against his lips and ordered for him to swallow, which he did, his eyes flickering as he became so tired he could barely stand to open his eyes.

Zee left to the corridor and smiled thankfully at Bernstein and dismissed him for the night. When she returned, she found that Willy had already fallen asleep, sprawled out about her bed. If only he hadn't been so picky, then she could've fallen asleep on her own. But sadly he had to be a picky little chocolatier and she recognized the scent he was describing, some little boy once told her she smelled like that before and then another man she once met in the grocery store also complemented her on her choice of perfume and spent at least fifteen minutes trying to explain what she smelled like when he concluded that she simply smelled like cotton candy and cakes.

After debating for several minutes, Zee decided to take a quick hot shower and sink into the tub, and she did just that. It was as she was reading through toy catalogs of her competitors and sneering, that she heard a knock upon her door. Setting down the magazine and pulling bubbles closer to her body, she called so that her voice echoed loudly across the stony bathroom walls and floors, "Who is it?"

"It's only me," came the familiar voice of Bernstein, her most trusted robotic worker and only best friend in the factory.

"Come in, then," Zee invited as she tried her best to remain unseen amongst the bubbles besides her head. Even if Bernstein was a mere robot not even programmed to think such thoughts as most men do when they walk into a bathroom and see a pretty naked lady amidst bubbles in her own bubble bath, that was not to say that Zee felt comfortable with anyone walking into her tranquil bath. Of course, she wasn't entirely sure how long the agent her parents gave her beloved fiancé would last, so it never hurt to be prepared for the worst. "What do you want so suddenly?"

"There's a problem in the Building Block Room," Bernstein explained with an air of urgency about his robotic aura.

"Oh, right then. I'll be right there. Just close the door and let me dry myself off and get dressed properly and I'll be right down, got it?" Zee smiled but inside she felt the need to almost scream. The past week had been nothing but a chaotic ball of stress making and she wasn't thoroughly enjoying the situation at hand. But Bernstein left and as she promised, she got out of the marble basin and pulled the plug. The loud sound of draining filled the bathroom but she paid not attention as she wrapped a towel around her soaking wet body and ran a brush quickly through her equally soaked hair.

Ten minutes later Zee was in the Building Block Room, sighing exasperatedly as the machine that was supposed to be making the blocks began to malfunction. Her robotic friends hid behind the giant building block castle that was the centerpiece of the room, and towered like a child's fortress. It was nearly life-size, as everything in it Zee could work with without a problem. The room was colored in blues, purples and greens and the ceiling gave to the illusion that it was a clear, sunny day. Secretly Zee wished it was cloudy but her sisters warned her that the room would only depress her if she made it so.

The problem with the machine took nearly half an hour to fix, during which time Zee was pelted and bombarded with her own toys—it wasn't a fun experience at all. So it was no wonder that as she collapsed onto her bedroom at around nine that evening that she didn't even bother to notice that Willy was even there until she reached up and felt his coat's fabric beneath his fingertips. Exhaustedly she looked up and grinned slightly. Willy looked so peaceful when he slept, and all too innocent. Suddenly she didn't feel half as tired as curiosity compelled her onward

She hoisted her body fully onto the rather tall bed and sat on her knees as she pulled off his shoes and pried his cane out of his hands. Her eyebrows furrowed as she scanned the purple latex gloves and then looked at her own vinyl ones. Sighing, she pulled off her engagement ring and pulled off both gloves before setting the ring carefully on her finger again. Now that hypocrisy was out of the way, Zee pondered on the idea of why Willy constantly wore his gloves. There'd never been a day since those fateful years ago in his shop on Cherry Street that she had seen his bare hands. Filled with an overwhelming inquisitiveness, she tugged at his gloves, hoping to whoever watched over her in the heavens above that the agent wouldn't suddenly decide to wear away and awaken Willy Wonka. But then again, she noticed that lately her luck was running dangerously thin.

So, feeling her hands grow a little too shaky she peeled off the first glove and turned his hand over in her own. They were large, she noticed as she put hers and his palm to palm and examined the difference. Her fingers had always been rather long, so they matched evenly with his but hers were also skinny, and she'd never noticed exactly how bony her hands were until she compared it to his. She pulled her hand away and glared at him, as if it was his fault that he'd been born with a destiny to have large hands.

Next Zee pulled off his top hat and set it on her own head as she played with Willy's hair. It was softer than she imagined it to be, or remembered from that strange encounter in his bedroom where she'd awoken from a deranged dream having to do with chocolate bunnies eating her jellybeans and her mother telling Willy that he had to wear the dress because Zee didn't want to. But setting that aside, Zee was happily playing with his hair for a long while, braiding and unbraiding it in a mindless manner. It amazing how potent that mixture was at times like this, when she'd sat here for what seemed like forever just playing around with his hair and stripping his hands clean of their latex confinements.

It was when Zee was halfway through pulling off the second glove when Willy jerked unexpectedly and awoke, staring straight at her as his violet eyes inspected her with his top hat, his purple glove on her lap whilst the other one was being delicately peeling off his hand, and his shoes and cane on the ground beside the bed. "Oh…. Uhm…" Zee couldn't think of anything to say so she stared at him with a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

Slowly Willy lifted his already naked hand and hovered it before his face, closely scanning it for any sign of something being wrong with it. Indeed, it was his same hand. "I'm sorry," Zee apologized and let go of his hand at once and looked away, not noticing or perhaps not caring that Willy's hand was still half-naked and in her lap. "I just wondered why you wore them."

"Do you have any idea how many germs exist in this world?" Willy asked her, sitting up so he was facing her.

"But that'd mean they just gather on your gloves. Wearing gloves doesn't change anything. I think its because you don't like people," Zee concluded, raising her eyebrows at him.

Willy could not deny that he didn't like people, he had been betrayed and picked on and tricked into marriage his entire life (you see, when he was even a child girls performed their pretend marriages on him. He must've had at least five wives when he was only six). But of course, he did trust a select few and those people included the Bucket family, most recently his father, and quite surprisingly Zee herself so he wasn't entirely sure if he minded or not his hands being exposed in all their pale glory. The factory seemed clean anyways. Wait…factory? "How did I—"

"My parents drugged you," Zee sheepishly admitted. "But don't worry, I gave you a remedy for any side-affects so you should be fine…. but I had to take you to my factory." She checked the time. It was already nearing ten 'o' clock. She had spent nearly an hour playing with Willy's hair and pondering on many things that all centered around him, which was odd to say the least. That unfamiliar, uncomfortable warm feeling in her heart and gut returned to her and she frowned, wishing it'd go away. "Then you wouldn't agree to stay in my guest bedrooms," she gave him a teasing smile and went on, "You wanted to be around the smell of cotton candy and cakes."

At once Willy understood his half-conscious demands. That smell he'd recognized from the embrace he'd shared with her outside her house. It had a hint of familiarity and it made his tongue tingle with delight as if he could almost taste the sweetness on his tongue—he had an enormous sweet tooth so that made matters slightly more tantalizing. "I sent for Bernstein to get me some pajamas for you just in case you woke up. Usually one of my sister's husbands wears them but they're about your height, so you'll fit in them fine…I think," Zee went on and got off the bed. "Excuse me, just answer the door if Bernstein comes, got it?"

On any normal circumstances Willy thought that the phrase 'got it?' sounded so rude but the way Zee said it with an air of happiness made him start to think differently. But his thoughts were interrupted as a knock on the door resounded and Willy was forced to leave his position on the bed to open the door, only to find Bernstein the robot there. "Where's Ms. Orman?" he asked, turning his robotic head this way and that.

"Oh…she went in there," Willy pointed to the bathroom and looked back down at the robot. "Can I—uh—help you instead?"

"These must be for you," he handed him a neatly folded package wrapped in a red and violet bow of purple silken pajamas. Bernstein bowed and left, shutting the door on his way out.

Willy looked at the bathroom door and then down at the package and set it on the bed as he started to take off his coat. Just as he was doing this Zee turned the doorknob to the bathroom but saw Willy starting to pull of his vest next and shut it quickly, sighing and rolling her eyes.

"I want my lucky penny back," she muttered and plopped unceremoniously on the marble floor by the door.

**Ha! I loved expressing Willy's glove-less hands as "naked" I thought it was funny, but then again I'm running on espresso at nine thirty at night so nearly anything is amusing to me. **

**REVIEW! Or I'll turn you green. I'm magic, beware!**


	8. Luck Just Wasn't So Well

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Eight: Luck Just Wasn't So Well**

As Zee was still frantically wishing for her lucky penny, Willy had already changed into the pajamas provided to him and was sitting cross-legged on her bed quietly while looking about the room. Everything was surprisingly clean and organized, he wondered if she did it all herself or had some of her robotic friends help her.

Outside the window showed that the snow had stopped falling and everyone was most likely asleep so late at night. Willy worried about what the Buckets were thinking he was up to, but knew he couldn't just leave, he wasn't even sure how to get out of the giant, mysterious factory. The small, curious child in him wanted to explore the large castle of a building but he was an adult and would remain where he was expected to remain, even if he'd rather be doing something instead of sitting there.

After a minute Zee sat up on her knees and slowly opened the door and noticed Willy innocently sitting on her bed, looking around in a very bored manner, she couldn't blame him, really. Casually she crept out of the bathroom and onto the bed, coughing slightly before she smiled at him and suddenly a yawn took over her, making her stretch and lay down on the bed silently, the entire time Willy merely watched her quizzically, both interested and amused.

Within seconds Zee was asleep, anchored into a dream by complete exhaustion. After a minute of decision-making, Willy slowly stood up and turned down the covers and stared at her for a minute, if not a while longer. He was contemplating, taking in a deep breath, as he was about to endure a giant ordeal. Slowly, cautiously, and carefully Willy actually lifted Zee, even without his gloves, and set her underneath the covers, making certain they were covering her before he awkwardly laid in the bed beside her, pulling the bedspread to his chin and staring up at the ceiling with his brilliant violet eyes, giving a small trickle of a smile before he too found himself captive to the death grip of sleep.

The following morning as the light seeped in through the windows and all was rather silent throughout the factory, Zee sat up to stretch and yawn, as she did daily as with any other morning. But today was not any other morning, because today, in fact, was a day where she found someone in her bed beside her. There was an initial shock that came with this discovering and she jumped away, noticing how close she had shifted towards the body throughout the night. Then the memories washed over and she nodded, then began to ponder on how she even got there in the first place.

Directly after this thought, she smiled and looked down at the blissfully unaware, sleeping Willy Wonka and slipped out of the bed and towards the door to the bathroom.

Across the town Charlie Bucket set his bare feet on the warm hardwood flooring and smiled, stretching his arms and grinning in ultimate satisfaction, as far as he knew it, Willy hadn't come home last night.

Now, even if he was a still almost innocent young boy, Charlie could conjure up a few reasons as to explain Willy's absence, and one of them was quite blatantly obvious, and the conclusion he instantly jumped to. But he only smirked, having more evidence to tease his "brother" about. Downstairs he heard the stirring of his relatives, and the smell of pancakes wafting upwards towards his nostrils. Willy would have to wait Charlie was starving.

"Mom? Have you heard from Willy?" inquired Charlie slyly as he sat himself down at the table, his father running a hand through his out of bed hairdo and smiling proudly, as he did on most good days.

"No, I haven't, actually. Do you suppose he's okay, dear?" Mrs. Bucket looked towards her husband who had taken a seat the table with the morning's post in his hands, unraveling and gazing up at his adoring wife waiting for an answer.

"I don't see what could have. Maybe something came up," Mr. Bucket shrugged but as Charlie looked away he gave his wife another look pointedly, but she ignored the premonition of that, Willy didn't seem like the type, anyways. "Any minute now he'll come walking in here."

Charlie, on the other hand, highly doubted that. Knowing Willy, he'd try to avoid them for as long as possible until they finally started searching for him, only then would he emerge. And Charlie could not wait to see the chocolatier. So after breakfast he got dressed, combed his hair, and kicked off his Saturday morning by going to the chocolate riverbank to find the candy sea dragon boat and hopped into it, it was devoid of Oompa Loompas. But Charlie didn't mind, his day was already perfect, what could possibly make it a terrible one?

In the toy factory, Willy stretched as he sat up and looked around. He definitely wasn't in his own room, he knew that much. Last night was an abrupt blur to him, until his memories focused and he smiled, he knew exactly where he was now.

He could hear as he stood, getting out of bed, that Zee was in the shower getting ready for the day. The water, however, stopped as quickly as he had recognized the sound and he could hear the shower door opening an closing.

Without much to do, Willy began making the bed as he waited, then sitting at the edge and swinging his feet about, considering that the bed was so high even his feet couldn't touch the floor, but his toes barely skimmed it. He looked up as he heard the doorknob twisting.

However, Zee had not anticipated Willy to be awake, considering that he had been out like a light when she awoke no more than fifteen minutes ago. So she was standing there in front of him with nothing but a mere towel, her eyes wider than saucers.

There they stood as if suspended in time, staring at each other with eyes wider than wide before Willy dashed out into the wonky hallway and huddled up in the corner, pretending that moment had never happened to no avail.

Zee heaved a deep, embarrassed breath and made sure he was outside before taking off the towel and getting dressed, all the while feeling rather awkward. Really, when was her luck going to turn around?

As Charlie, meanwhile, climbed into the boat and started it off, his concentration began to slip away from the pink candy boat he was going down steadily, but his attention was immediately drawn to it as it began to speed up. In a whirlwind of panic, he found himself speeding down the chocolate river with absolutely no control of the boat whatsoever.

His hands groped for the oars but he just couldn't reach and when he barely did, they did him no good. There were just too many to do anything. Charlie's eyes widened and he braced himself, arms over his head protectively, for the crash landing. Indeed the crash landing came and the candy work of art was crushed to smithereens instantly and Charlie was thrown back into the river, rushing down it helplessly. Was this the end of poor Charlie Bucket? Would he drown? He screamed and pleaded otherwise. Only the Oompa Loompas, however, heard him.

Luckily enough, that's all Charlie needed as one unlatched a lasso of rope candy from its belt and roped in Charlie to one of the many platforms around him. Chocolate oozed off his body and onto the metal platform, then between the holes cut out in the metal. Wiping the excess off his face he waited for his heart to catch up with his unsteady breathing. The Oompa Loompas quickened their pace to help him.

Charlie was busy watching the ruined remains of the boat float away down the river, completely stupefied. How could he explain this to Willy?

**Like, whoa! What's this? Any update? Wow! Man.**

**All right, now that THAT is out of the way, let's get onto some things. Yes, I haven't updated since before Christmas, SO SORRY. It's been that way for just about all my stories, sadly enough. Actually, I began to have a life after Christmas break. It's complicated, I sort of don't recommend it if you're into having spare time.**

**Thanks to: almostinsane, Belle07, Lone Dark Wolf, serenity mellenium, and Faerie in Combat boots for reviewing chapter 7. If I missed anybody, harass me in your review.**

**And to the 266 people who viewed the last chapter and didn't review: I hope dearly that the one time you don't forward a chain mail, it comes true and the next day you wake up and your head is severed.**


	9. Moving On and Moving Ahead

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers **

**Chapter Nine: Moving On and Moving Ahead**

Willy Wonka, through his hazed mind of blushing embarrassment, was completely aware of the time passing him by and leaving his chocolate factory in the hands of mischievous Oompa Loompas and the entire Bucket family. The chocolatier cringed at the thought of all the chaos, pining for the sweet smell of his factory, though Zee herself had a very appealing aroma about her. _No! Do __**not**__ think about that!_ Mentally Wonka slapped himself across the face. One thing he was not at all aware of, however, was the object of his disastrous thoughts standing in the doorway of her bedroom, merely and bemusedly watching him.

"Willy?" Given the previous actions between them, perhaps calling Mr. Wonka by his first name was a bit off of good thought, but Zee had not been thinking properly to begin with, she rather liked watching his violet eyes dart around the hallway. _Stop thinking about him. This is so __**awkward**_True enough, her traveling thoughts were not at all lending a needle and thread to mend the situation, neither her stumbling words as a result of this uncomfortable thinking, "Maybe... Maybe...I should just, uhm, walk you back? I mean to the factory."

Without a response, Willy directed his attention towards her, a bit startled to see her there, closing his eyes at the mental image springing into mind, but just as uncomfortably responded two simple words, "Good idea." At first he toyed with the idea of asking for her help in standing but chanced it and stood on his own, looking down at his fiancé who, in return, gazed up at him. "Onward?" This was ridiculous, they were due to be _married_ and yet as the gap between them measured barely a few inches his heart rate skipped and accelerated, his hands shaky and inexperienced with any kind of like situation. Well, besides back on Cherry Street. But that was entirely a different matter.

Though not dealing with intimacy, Charlie felt similar in helplessness to his situation. Ignoring the chocolate, he scooped his boyish hands into the river to retrieve the last of the wreckage, a chip of pink candy, from the river and stare at it amongst the sugary goodness of what will be made into a chocolate bar. "Willy will kill me!" Now, had this been something simple (i.e. a chocolate bird dying or a cocoa cat croaking), it could so easily be explained away with a few sentences strung cleverly together. This, however, was not so simple to just brush it off and lie. No, either it takes serious story telling and lying abilities or you must fess up the truth. Charlie, knowing right from wrong quite well by his year, had but one choice: Honesty.

Honesty could be such a frightening thing when you're forced to approach your teacher in the industry of all things of confectionary and sugary goodness about the death of a pink candy sea horse boat, the cause of the death being entirely your fault as well. One thing Charlie could rely on was the mercy of Willy Wonka and with hope deep set in his heart, Zee Orman's ability to keep him from pouncing and brutally murdering the child. After all, even if the two would deny it to no end, they were falling for each other and to a certain extent every woman has some power over her man.

Fortunately neither Zee nor Willy knew of Charlie's ill fate as they walked the cold streets of the small town towards the large, metallic chocolate factory. Spring was soon in coming, however, as the temperature had begun to rise bit by bit over the week. Zee resented spring and summer for one reason: heat. Eternal autumn wouldn't be so bad, she decided mentally.

Willy's thoughts lingered on the woman beside him instead of the changing weather and the April showers bringing May flowers. Come to think of it, not only was her scent appealing but the way she cutely bit her lower lip in intense concentration (as she was currently doing), or the way she avoided eye contact to no avail and the defeated glimmer in her eyes was highly attractive as well. Willy hated admitting that the woman was attractive, he hated admitting even thinking fondly of her, but it was so true and so new that he could hardly stand not exploring the unknown of curiosity of his adventurous, childish side. It was while he was crossing Franklin Street with Zee that he decided to take one leap, a risk to defy all of his others, and put behind his phobia of all things related to touch. For the good of not entirely ruining his marriage that, at this point, seemed to have a semi-bright future. Or semi-dark, depending on your view of half full or half empty.

The gates to his factory were reached all too soon, they collectively and mentally concluded. "I have some extra time, I could always walk you inside," Zee shrugged and Willy nodded, extracting from his pocket a large key ring, the entire set of keys to every possible door in is factory, and inserted the proper metal item into the lock. The gate swung open to let them inside and automatically shut and locked itself behind them as they moved towards the front doors of his immense chocolate factory, the air around it smelling of one sweet treat, chocolate. Security was at the utmost in the factory, Zee was certain of that, and as a side effect everything felt a little bit safer inside the warm confinements of his factory, safely barricading them from the rest of the world.

Together they walked the red carpet lined corridor to the entrance of his candy meadow. Uneasily they both turned to the other and smiled. "Bye?" Willy finally broke the silence previously enveloping them.

"Yeah...bye," Zee nodded, moving to leave, but her footsteps halted, Willy could do nothing but watch as she moved back to him and stared into his purple eyes. Before he could digest the situation. it was over. Zee had kissed him on the cheek lightly and now was sprinting down the hallway for her dear life and out the doors.

Oddly enough? Willy even smiled.

**Yes, it has returned! I'm super sorry about the wait, I feel so incredibly guilty about it and all. Maybe this can make up for it?**

**Thanks to my reviewers: PIRATEical ELF of Mirkwood, almostinsane, SlytherinTwinCC, Lone Dark Wolf, BlackSnowPetals, Vampire Queen Kassandra, Sorceress Morgan le Fay (hope you didn't die), and Amy-kate**

**If you review, I'll update quick. PROMISE!**


	10. A Kiss' Aftermath

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Ten: A Kiss' Aftermath**

A kiss, by exact definition meant one of five things: a carress with the lips, a gentle touch or contact, a small drop of cookie made of meringue, a bite-sized piece of candy often wrapped in paper or foil, or an expression of affection. Now in this scenario, the first definition was the correct one. However, the dictionary lacked in one thing. To define a kiss belittled it; belittled all that it ever could be by explaining it with a meager five word sentence. The dictionary never explained all the delight someone could feel from it, the warmth lingering for hours on the victim's cheek, or the giddy enthusiam it compelled one to show. Willy Wonka wandered his candy meadow, oblivious to the panic-strick Charlie Bucket, enduring felicitious gaeity a kiss can arouse.

Panic, by exact definition, could mean "a sudden overpowering fright." The dictionary need nothing more than these four words to fully describe, in some detail, Charlie's true feelings at the present time with his mentor strolling ever closer, humming a cheery tune towards the chocolate river and the flecks of pink sea horse candy boat still glimmering as they floated onwards towards the tunnel that had previously been the cause of the wreckage, a few pieces even managed to lodge themselves onto the bank, remaining stubbornly motionless.

Panic and blithesome cheer collided to create somewhat of an odd silence, Willy staring at Charlie with inquistive violet eyes while Charlie tried and tried to remain as calm and casual as possible. "Everything go over okay?" Charlie, hands shoved in his pockets, kicked at a marshmallow mushroom with unconcerned carelessness, purposely avoiding his gaze, examining the mint grass as if something was extremely different about it today, rather unlike yesterday.

"Fine, Charlie. Is something wrong?" The thing about joy and the thing about panic, is when mixed, they never work out. The happiness doesn't spread and the panic doesn't subside, as deep down in his chest, Charlie's heart swelled, beating faster and faster, the pounding heard in his ears. For a second, Charlie worried that Willy might perhaps hear, but he reasoned that it was immature to think so.

With more of an exaggerated motion that originally intended, Charlie whipped is neck up to stare at Willy, who's eyebrows were now furrowed with interest and his smile wiped clean off his face. Guilt unpleasantly danced with anxiety, an awful pair to be honest, as Charlie realized that if it wasn't for him, that smile would still be wide as ever. "Willy, I have to tell you something." The earnest tone of his voice perplexed and worried Willy as he nodded, a simple gesture beckoning for more information. "Well, I was in the sea horse boat in the tunnel and...I lost control and everything went by so fast and I couldn't stop it and--"

"--it crashed," completed Willy, quite dismally. "Again."

However this time around Charlie was the one with furrowed eyebrows, casting a slight shadow over his eyes. "Again? It's happened before?" Relief visably spread over Charlie's feature and a small chuckle emitted form Willy.

"You really thought I'd be mad? There's mold to make more and the recipe's safely tucked away, no worries!" The joy now instilled, once more, in Willy, he clapped Charlie's back and continued on, a gesture that shocked Charlie more than the news on the sea horse boat. Did Willy just freely act and touch someone? Now really what _did_ happen between him and Zee? Blinking slowly, taking in these past few moments, the boy decided that it would be best to return home, finally. With a happier bounce to his step, Charlie entered the Bucket home, his mother smiling and greeting him lovingly from over the stove she cooking lunch on, currently. Mr. Bucket waved from behind the newspaper, sitting at the dinner table while Grandpa Joe assisted in cleaning up the house, pushing along the thick bristled broom over the flooring.

"Hello, mum," grinned Charlie, seating himself by his dad while inhaling the pleasant aroma of the soup and bread presently being fixed for lunchtime.

"Is Willy back yet?" Mrs. Bucket inquired, overlooking her large soup pot to ask Charlie.

There was a simple nod from the boy as he sipped on a cup of water on the table, left there by his father who paid no attention, completely absorbed by the news in the paper.

"That's good."

Now a kiss meant a caress on the lips, a gentle touch or contact, or even an expression of affection. What the dictionary failed to detail was the aftermath, the pleasant sensations and the not-so-pleasant ones. Butterflies mingled with fireworks in Zee's stomach on the brisk walk towards her parent's house where, hopefully, her sisters were still visiting, which was more than likely considering their nature. Jacqueline would never leave so quickly, family was of utmost importance so naturely she'd only be asking to stay for a week or two. Marine did, however, enjoy any vacation time possible so it was likely she'd be there as well.

The morning air was warming, a soft kiss of radiance atop Zee's nose spread over her face as the sun ascended higher and higher in the sky. Clouds were clearing and the birds in the trees, to the unfavorable reaction of Zee, chirped with more enthusiasm, whizzing from tree to tree avidily.

There, same as always, was Zee Orman's childhood home and the residence of her parents. Heaving a ragged sigh, she stood on the stoop, ringing the doorbell. This was the moment, a single second, when Zee doubted her presence, thought of running away to her factory and locking herself up there forever and never returning to the city ever again. But the door swung open, revealing Marine and Jacqueline in matching aprons, both with genorous bits of flour and cookie dough splattered onto them. "Zee!" Jacqueline was quick to step forward, hugging her sibling, while simultaneously infecting her sister's clothes with flour. "Why are you here? Is Willy with you?" Both sisters peered outside of the doorway, finding the only human being within a mile radius outside to be Ms. Orman on the step. "Come inside."

Marine and Jacqueline sat down in the kitchen, reclining casually in the breakfast nook and sipping on some tea. "Mum and dad are off shopping, they won't be back for quite some time," Marine explained over her tea cup and saucer.

"And the boys are out as well, I suspect they'll be gone a while too," Jacqueline added. "So why are you here?" A sly grin formed onto the lips of Zee's sisters causing the youngest of the Orman daughter's stomach to begin a presentation of backflips. "Is it about Willy?"

"Well...maybe..."

**Oh you know you must love me for not taking decades to update! Yes, I have had a lot of time, what with summer PE being over and all. Yes, I took summer PE, by choice, mind you. So, how do you like it? Do tell**

**Thanks to my faithful reviewers: Operation Milkdud, canangelscry, almostinsane, Aranel Oronra **

**Feed back, in any form, is SO lovely! Thank you for reading!**


	11. I Always Knew You

**Of Chocolate and Toy Soldiers**

**Chapter Eleven: I Always Knew You**

At a simultaneous moment in time, a moment that only sisters sipping tea from their saucers could share, Marine and Jacqueline giggled and set their saucers, cup and all, onto the wood of the table at their knees and gawked at their youngest sibling. Now Zee had some sympathy for zoo animals and fishes in aquariums, or perhaps an art display. "Go on, then," Marine insisted, brushing at the flour on her apron absently as Jacqueline added another cube of sugar to her tea and occupied her hand by stirring the contents thoroughly.

Now the brilliantly hatched idea of seeking a haven in her sisters' pools of thoughts was terrifying to Zee. How would she confess to this crime of kissing her fiancé? Well, crime in the fact that she was so abashed about a simple peck that was barely worth anything at all. Even as she squirmed uncomfortably against the sofa of the sitting room in her childhood home, Zee could only cast her betrothed in a cruel light, perhaps he was disgusted? Maybe he was even second guessing himself over meeting her in the first place. Oh the pressure! "Well, maybe, but…don't be so quick to judge!"

"Oh spit it out already, Zee!" Jacqueline demanded, finally ceasing her persistent stirring to sip at her tea and then forwardly direct herself to adding yet another sugar cube whilst Marine sipped her tea politely and regarded the still completely untouched tea of her sister's.

"I kissed Willy and now I feel funny!" Zee blurted it such remarkable speed that she hardly knew if her sisters comprehended it at all. Then, all at once in another outburst of a sibling moment, the girls began to laugh hysterically, bracing either's shoulders for support and Jacqueline was forced to rest her tea on a coaster placed over the wood of the table.

The minutes that passed between the commencing of laughter and the aftermath were an awkward, blushing blur for Zee where all her thoughts were forced towards the chocolate factory, flitting away to that man that had the most gorgeous of violet eyes and the sweet smell of chocolate that was a constant reminder of his profession, and quite possibly his passion. Willy Wonka gave up everything to root himself in the career of candy creating, imagining and with this epiphany on her parents' couch, Zee finally began to grasp the missing puzzle.

Willy Wonka was and never had been a stranger to her, yet she had been regarding him as such. "Sorry, must go!" Zee hopped up, nearly spilling the contents of the china tea cup everywhere but never apologizing as she brushed off the flour from her clothing and skipped out the door.

Halfway across the city in the secure confinements of a room high up in the tower of his chocolate factory, Willy Wonka hardly noticed the confectionary between his fingers as he turned it over, though not at all seizing the idea of what it was. No, his mind was over something more complex, something far stranger than he had ever once thought.

Was Willy Wonka, _the _Willy Wonka—who spent years in solitude, really admitting to the crime of being _in love_?

What else could explain the eupeptic sense of wellness in his gut and the euphoric simper over his dashing visage? No, nothing could, nothing at all. Chocolate was supposed to make one feel in love, though how so did it never make him feel quite so as he was now?

The butterflies in his stomach did not churn with anxiety but danced beautifully with one another in a festival of celebration.

Letters lay strewn about his desk, reeling with neglect and his priorities all off-balance with this new sensation, so delightful as it were.

Zee Orman spent the remainder of the daylight cooped up in her office, leaving for nothing but a dire action figure war on the third floor. That morning and afternoon she was consumed in paperwork, as expected to be presented as always through anyone working in a company of their own, and her own sketches and thoughts against the backs of useless paper she did not desire to see waste. Paper airplanes flew around the room, whizzing this way and that and falling in a graveyard of paper along her floor, yet as she paced the room she was cautious enough to never one land eve the slightest bit of heel or toe on the aircrafts.

At just past sunset she finally dawned her jacket and a bundle wrapped in maroon canvas tucked beneath her armpit, she rode her toy train to the exit of her factory and after safely locking the building, set off towards the aromatic factory some ways up the lane…or two lanes….or a few.

Happily she had filched one of his keys to the gate and front door some days back after first visiting the property and easily slipped through undetected onto his front lawn and then trekked further into the warm hallway, suspending her coat on a hook by the door as she went and passed through.

With another twist of a key and she was escaping into a world of candy heaven, the candy meadow seemed somehow exceedingly beautiful as she snuck about the room, crept past Charlie by the chocolate river bank, and rapped on the door of the Bucket home audibly yet quietly so as to not draw the attention of one Charlie Bucket, always too eager to tease her and interrogate her.

"Hell Zee!" Mrs. Bucket broadly grinned and ushered her inside the warmth of the home, but Zee was determined as she turned directly to the woman.

"Where's Willy? Is he around?" Zee firmly queried of the woman athwart her.

"Oh, I believe he's been in his tower all day, actually—his bedroom. It overlooks the city; maybe you can get his attention through the one-way window?" Mrs. Bucket suggested and then added with a simper of a true romantic, "He's been quite different today, actually. All you need is love, as they say."

Zee smiled and nodded and retracing her steps halted outside the tower overlooking the city, glancing up the tall length of it. By now there was a bitter chill beginning to grip the town and she shivered over a combination of nerves and frost.

Setting the bundle on the ground, she let the rolled maroon canvas roll over in front of her knees and she grinned, beaming at her treasure.

From the window where Willy perched himself by, staring absently mindedly towards the sky and scribbling down ideas on pad with pen, Mr. Wonka could not even bother to notice Zee on his lawn until, with a great flash of pink light, a fire work whizzed through the air to his window, perfect height. At one the singular path of the pink fizz diverged into two a double pronged sort of loop and soon he distinguished a heart floating outside his window and obviously evanescent as it vanished in a matter of moments to be replaced by more random assortments of fireworks and ended with a loud BANG of boisterous explosion and light.

The glass elevator could not possibly travel fast enough for his liking.

**Well here it is, the eleventh chapter of my story and I must say, I am proud of myself for making it this far. I have true faith in this story, to be honest. It's so entertaining! Plus, I'm finally allowing myself for there to be more intimacy between these two, after eleven chapters it's about time!**

**Yes, I did use the famed Beatles' lyric "all you need is love". Sue me, the Beatles are my heroes. **

**Much gratitude, especially, to these reviewers: Sorceress Morgan le Fey, canangelscry, Katelyn, and the ness-ness! **

**Please review, I do relish in support! Oh and apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors within this chapter, author does not currently own a beta, besides a beta fish but completely different. **

**Thanks for reading!**


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